TORONTO – After two years of UN Global Plastics Treaty talks, world leaders in Geneva failed to secure an agreement to end plastic pollution at what was scheduled to be the last round of negotiations. The session was adjourned and will resume at a later date to be determined.
Last year, Canada hosted the fourth session, INC 4, in Ottawa, as both a member of the Host Country Alliance and the High Ambition Coalition. Canada became one of the 85 countries that signed the “Stand Up for Ambition” declaration, calling for a strong and legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that cuts plastic production, phases out harmful chemicals and ensures a fair financing mechanism. In June, over 90 countries, including Canada, reaffirmed this commitment at the United Nations Ocean Conference in a ministerial declaration, “The Nice wake up call for an ambitious plastics treaty”.
Sien Van den broeke, Plastics Campaigner at Greenpeace Canada, said:
“Every day, world leaders allow relentless plastic production to continue. Plastic pollutes our bodies, the natural environment and contributes to a warming climate. The inability to secure an agreement reflects the stronghold that fossil fuel interests have on the process, despite a vast majority of countries calling for a strong Plastics Treaty.”
“Canada must continue to bring the leadership displayed during this round of talks to stay true to its commitment to land an ambitious Treaty. The call from civil society is clear: we need a strong, legally binding Treaty that cuts plastic production, ends harmful products and chemicals, upholds Indigenous Rights, secures fair financing, and accelerates a just transition to a reuse-based future.”
Graham Forbes, Greenpeace Head of Delegation to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and Global Plastics Campaign Lead for Greenpeace USA, said:
“The inability to reach an agreement in Geneva must be a wake up call for the world: ending plastic pollution means confronting fossil fuel interests head on. The vast majority of governments want a strong agreement, yet a handful of bad actors were allowed to use the process to drive such ambition into the ground. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect a different result. The time for hesitation is over.”
“The plastics crisis is accelerating, and the petrochemical industry is determined to bury us for short-term profits. Now is not the time to blink. Now is the time for courage, resolve and perseverance. The call from all of civil society is clear: we need a strong, legally binding Treaty that cuts plastic production, protects human health, provides robust and equitable financing, and ends the plastic pollution from extraction to disposal. And world leaders must listen. The future of our health and planet depends on it.”
ENDS
For more information, contact:
Sarah Micho, Communications Campaigner, Greenpeace Canada
[email protected], +1 647 428 0603
Angelica Carballo Pago, Global Plastics Communication and Media Lead, Greenpeace USA
[email protected], +63 917 112 4492
Greenpeace International Press Desk
[email protected], +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours)